Stumbling and Confused
by Love Is a Myth
Summary: Growing up and growing distant or growing closer- whatever it was, their group of friends will always be at the mercy of reality's push and pull. AKA: the gang grows up together, through puberty and losing parents, and they handle things as well as could be expected from children.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This story will be drabble-esque. The focus will jump from character to character.

This is my take on humanizing, or more putting the characters in a more real life setting and adding nuances of differences from their more flamboyant manga/anime counterpart, in order to really understand that growing up isn't really all dynamites and triumphant victories over insurmountable enemies.

It's about this group of children getting thrown life's curveballs and them trying to deal with it on their own. It's about growing up, learning from mistakes and stumbling uselessly, confused.

* * *

 ** _My legs are stumbling, stumbling as I walk_**

Kensuke Mochida, was not the worst person to be Kyoko's boyfriend. But he was pretty damn close.

Honestly, it's been a long running not-argument between her and Kyoko. Every single time they have a fight, she would cry and Mochida would always have the shortest fuse even though he was already quick to anger normally.

Its annoying, a complete mood ruiner and at times uncomfortable. For everybody else in, and its almost unbelievable she is letting herself think this, their group.

It could be said that couples who have the same group of friends are the most troublesome to deal with and also have the hardest time finding support within friends.

But it would be laughable to call Mochida her friend. The bastard would always throw snide remarks at her, whenever Kyoko would bring her along with them on outings. Rubbing in the fact that he pays for the food, even though he never really gives Hana a chance to pay for her own in the first place. Hanging out with Mochida is irritating at best.

But everyone else does not think like Hana, because everyone else is a stupid monkey idiot. Even Tsuna, Mochida's primary punching bag back in middle school, treats him as a friend now. And is therefore hesitant to take any sides.

Not taking any side is the same as not being a friend to either. It makes Hana boil with anger, just thinking about it.

What happened to liking Kyoko way back when? What happened to wanting to protect your important friends? Guess Kyoko doesn't make the cut.

Even now, as they eat at the roof top, everyone is acting all buddy-buddy with each other-

Yamamoto merrily trying to stuff a piece of sushi into a defiant Gokudera, with Tsuna weakly trying, and as usual, failing to keep the bickering from escalating. Kyoko and Shouichi chatting quiety amongst themseleves with Mochida at her side copying the nerd's home work, as usual. Hibari is napping at the top most section of the roof, as usual, the adrenaline freak.

-when at best, they were just a ragtag bunch of unhinged, dependent children.

Monkey idiots. The lot of them.

But, Hana thinks, as she nibbles on an onigiri, maybe she's being a little harsh.

After all, Hana is one of them, unfortunately.

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter title taken from Wiing Wiing by Hyukoh**


	2. Chapter 2

**Another meaningless day is passing today**

In baseball, players of well-rounded skills are most valuable, that's why most first years don't really get to play in games. They would be skilled enough come the second semester of their second year, maybe. But others never even get to take up the bat even as they're nearing graduation.

Yamamoto Takeshi isn't like any of those players. He came, he scored and he smiled, asking to play in games. The kid was no joke, but the way he carried himself wasn't like how a genius would, which are the types which he as a coach really dislikes, he carried himself as if he'd been training with the team for over two years. A baseball ace cultivated from hard work and practice.

His addition to the team had been the best move yet. Not only does he bring in homeruns but he always manages to lift up the team morale just by standing on the pitch with his casual smile.

Really, there should be nothing lacking about Yamamoto Takeshi. But.

As he's said, in baseball, a well-rounded player is vital. The player must field well, bat well, and cooperate with the team well.

He does all these things well enough but still, something is off.

Yamamoto, the poor boy, is not as well-rounded as he had first thought.

This thought had struck him when, clumps of the players pass by him, waving and yelling about their win thanks to Yamamoto- talking about getting celebratory ice cream at the nearby combini. He laughs and ruffles some heads but he notices Yamamoto's absence, even though his name kept coming up in the group's chatter.

As he's locking up, the first time he'd done so for awhile since first years were generally tasked to do this, he finds where Yamamoto's been.

On the field, running, throwing and swinging the bat by himself, as if it was a routine that he had to religiously abide by. His clothes were still stained with dirt, the cold compress for his pitching arm long abandoned and the business side of his cleets, from what he can see, has been rubbed raw.

He approaches the boy, careful to do so slowly, the concentrated look on the boy's face almost making his eyes seem devoid of anything.

"Yamamoto?"

The boy turns his eyes to him; the coach barely stifles the urge to step back.

"It's late, you should go home and rest now. Your family must be worried by now." He urges the boy, willing him to drop the bat with his heeding command.

And the boy, and this was the first time he'd found Yamamoto to be incredibly creepy, he just tilts his head, smiles with the same empty eyes before saying; "Mom understands, and they will too."

Yamamoto was not well-rounded, not in terms of skill, but in terms of stability. Based on his emotional state, a game could be lost or won. It's at this point that he, as a coach, should step in, get the boy some help.

 _But_ , he thinks as he looks at the players chattering excitedly across the field about their anticipated win with their ace Yamamoto, _is one player more important than the whole team?_

Coach Yamada always abided by the phrase there is no 'I' in team and Yamamoto wasn't the only one counting on him. The decision's already been made.

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter title taken from Wiing Wiing by Hyukoh**


	3. Chapter 3

**Love is just for all those who are the same**

There was this song bird.

It was the class pet.

Everyone cooed at it and threw bird seeds at its desolate form within its cage. It was a little over pitiful and a little less than downright pathetic in Hana's eyes.

One day, the bird accidentally gets out of its cage. It flies far, soaring and moving among the wind's currents.

They don't see it for so long that, when it came back, few recognized its small quivering form. It didn't help that it was half covered in bandages.

Some kids from class spotted it, somehow remembering the poor little thing in their short attention addled mind, one of them getting it down from the tree it perched itself on. By throwing a rock.

 _Children._ Such detestable creatures, thinks Hana as she looks at the crowd around the boy who, with his saving pitch, brought the little song bird home. Indeed, the hero of class 4-B.

Hana thinks she just threw up a little inside her mouth.

She glances at the pitiful bird, quiet in its little corner in the cage, folded upon itself.

The bird doesn't sing, in the first few weeks it came back, which causes the class to lose interest in it quickly. It's well fed, notably, since the students on duty seemed to take feeding the thing seriously. Or so she thought.

She heard it sing, the morning of her duty. She had yet to feed it, barely turning the corner to approach the classroom door, its crooning a pleasant surprise first thing in the morning. What comes after, not so much.

The tall boy with the 'saving pitch' and another short one were around it, seemingly coaxing sweet sounds from the little bird's beak. Its feed and water has already been replaced.

Giving ilness, then giving the cure, is it?

How unpleasant.

Children are so very twisted. She skips her duties that day.

She gives the bird chances to escape, with the same small rusted key she'd snuck that first time. Each and everytime, it always came back, on its own.

Truly a spectacularly stupid bird. Not worth Hana's time. Not worth saving.

* * *

Its been years and yet Hana keeps landing her gaze on that caged bird.

"Hey, Kyoko."

"Hm?" Comes her noncommittal response, busy detangling yarn strings.

"There was a song bird. The one that died, back in elementary." She picks up a paperback, carefully treading her fingers along its worn spine, careful to keep her eyes on the creased cover, "The one Tsuna needlessly cried over," she stops for a beat, "what was its name?"

Hana hears a clatter, presumably Kyoko putting a pause to her futile efforts in knitting. She hears her hum.

"I remember, Tsuna-kun had been really sad. It was sad." She pauses, and then continues with an odd lilt to her voice, "Her name was Kyoko. Named after me,"

Kyoko chuckles a bit but it felt as if there was more to be said.

An appropriate name, Hana couldn't help but think.

From a caged bird to another, Hana thinks, as she observes Kyoko fumble to answer her phone, letting balls of entangled yarn and her stitching needles fall to the ground.

She keeps the thought in mind, even as Kyoko hurriedly tells her that she needs to leave to meet _Kensuke_ , messily stuffing all of her things back into her purse, all running legs and hurried goodbyes.

Indeed. Caged birds...were they even worth saving?

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter title taken from Wiing Wiing by Hyukoh.**


End file.
